January 29, 2010 Vol. 4 #4 Michigan Primary Care Association www.mpca.net 517.381.8000 Visit Our Blog Visit us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Upcoming MPCA Events MPCA Budget & Finance Committee Conference Call February 1 1 pm MPCA Board Meeting February 1 5-8 pm (dinner followed by meeting) Radisson Hotel Lansing, MI 2010 MPCA Legislative Forum February 2 Anderson House Office Building Lansing, MI MPCA Health Policy Committee Conference Call February 15 3 pm Pediatric Integrated Pilot Conference February 19 MPCA Lansing, MI Click here to learn about more MPCA events. Upcoming State & National Events Click here for a list of upcoming events to be held by other organizations in Michigan and across the country.     The MPCA e-Update is a weekly e-bulletin intended to keep MPCA members updated on issues important to Community Health Centers. Please feel free to forward this to interested individuals, or they may request to be added to the distribution list by registering here. Information from outside organizations does not represent an endorsement by MPCA, and opinions expressed by outside authors are not necessarily official positions or policies of MPCA.

STATE NEWS   MPCA Looks Forward to Seeing You at the 2010 Legislative Forum Next Week Next Tuesday, February 2, Health Center advocates will convene in Lansing to learn about the political climate as it relates to Community Health Centers and health care, and nurture relationships with their legislators and discuss with them pressing issues such as MPCA's five legislative priorities for 2010: Develop Michigan's Health Care Workforce Provide Health Coverage for All Michigan Residents Modernize Michigan's Outdated Revenue Structure Maintain the Integrity of Medicaid Reinstate Michigan's Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit   REMINDER:  MPCA Co-sponsoring State of the State Address Airing February 3 For the second consecutive year, MPCA is proud to be a co-sponsor of Governor Granholm's State of the State address broadcast by WKAR-TV.  It will air statewide on all Michigan Public Television Stations next Wednesday, February 3 at 7-8:30 pm. MPCA's AmeriCorps Program Exceeds Expectations As of December 31, 2009, Michigan ARRA Community HealthCorps members have provided information on health insurance, health care access, and health benefits programs to 7,583 individuals.    Michigan in Top Five in U.S. for Layoffs According to new government data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics this week, Michigan was one of the five states that suffered the most layoffs in 2009.  It experienced a 12% increase in mass layoffs during 2009, on top of a 23% surge in 2008.     NATIONAL NEWS   Action Alert: Please Contact Your Members of Congress Now more than ever is the time for Congress to reform the failing American health care system.  Now more than ever is the time for Congressional Members to recognize that Community Health Centers stand ready to serve as the health care home for 60 million Americans in the years ahead.  Please contact your Members of Congress today to let them know that you want them to continue the effort to provide access to health care to millions of Americans - click here to read more and to link to NACHC's online advocacy center.   HHS, Surgeon General, First Lady Announce Plans to Combat Overweight and Obesity and Support Healthy Choices The prevalence of obesity has more than doubled among adults and has tripled among children and adolescents from 1980 to 2004.  Currently, two-thirds of adults and nearly one in three children are overweight or obese.  HHS' newly released The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation outlines a vision that requires parents, neighborhoods, the medical community, employers, schools, and individuals to take a coordinated and comprehensive approach to combating overweight and obesity.     H1N1 & SEASONAL FLU   Guidance from Pediatric Stakeholders: A Coordinated Approach to Communicating Pediatric-related Information on Pandemic Influenza at the Community Level During an influenza pandemic, a lack of a coordinated approach to communication between the medical community and the general public can result in confusion and actions that interfere with the medical response to the outbreak. To address this issue, pediatric stakeholders, including members of national associations (medical, health, and school related), pediatric primary care providers, and hospitals, met to develop a suggested approach to coordinating the communication of pediatric-related information during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.   Children Need Two Doses of H1N1 Flu Vaccine Since research shows that children 6 months through 9 years of age have little or no evidence of protective antibodies to the H1N1 2009 virus, the FDA recommends this age group receive two doses of the vaccine, given a month part or a minimum of 21 days between the vaccinations.   Updated Vaccination Screening Tool Available The Immunization Action Coalition recently revised Do I Need Any Vaccinations Today?, a screening tool for patients to fill out before seeing their health care provider. This piece was updated to include new recommendations related to meningococcal, hepatitis A, influenza, pneumococcal, and HPV vaccines.   Report on 2009 H1N1 Vaccine Safety Risk Assessment Released Released by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee and HHS.   Pandemic Interruptus: It Ain't Over Till It's Over Peter Sandman, a risk communications consultant gives advice on how to communicate during the lull in new infections of pandemic influenza. He recommends communicating uncertainty and reiterating that 2009 Influenza H1N1 is a real pandemic, though a mild one.  (Source:  Guardian of Public Health, Office of Public Health Preparedness)   Continue to check the following web sites for up-to-date information:  www.michigan.gov/fllu, www.cdc.gov/flu, www.flu.gov, www.mpca.net.   HEALTH CENTERS IN THE NEWS   Covenant Community Care Launching 2010 Covenant Cares for 10,000 Campaign Covenant Community Care has kicked off a major campaign to provide medical, dental, and counseling services to 10,000 people this year who live below the federal poverty level.  Last year, the Health Center provided services to over 4,000 people.  Click here for more about CHCs in the News.  Do have news or testimonials from patients, board members, or staff to share?  Please e-mail information to dhughes@mpca.net.     REPORTS & RESOURCES   The Economic Recession:  Early Impacts on Health Care Safety Net Providers The Center for Studying Health System Change released this week an issue brief showing how the economic recession has impacted safety net providers, including Health Centers.   Teaching Primary Care in Community Health Centers: Addressing the Workforce Crisis for the Underserved The authors of this article featured in the Annals of Internal Medicine (January 19, 2010) propose a link between primary care graduate medical education and care for the underserved in Community Health Centers, where expansion will be necessary for the anticipated increase in Medicaid and insured patients.   IRS Helping Jobless with Health Care Costs The IRS's Health Coverage Tax Credit pays 80% of health insurance premiums.  To qualify for the program, individuals must be receiving Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits.     FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES   Prevention of Suicidal Behavior Through the Enhancement of Connectedness This RFA addresses the "Healthy People 2010" priority area(s) of injury and violence prevention and is in alignment with National Center for Injury Prevention and Control performance goal(s) to conduct a targeted program of research to reduce injury-related death and disability. (Funder: CDC; due April 29)    Click here for a list of funding opportunities posted on the MPCA web site.     CAREER OPPORTUNITIES   President/Chief Executive Officer, Baldwin Family Health Care, Baldwin, MI Click here for a list of career opportunities in Michigan Community Health Centers.